The people complained against Moses and against the Lord. They lost faith in God's provision. The Lord provided rivers of flowing water. Moses also disobeyed the Lord in his frustration and therefore could not bring Israel into the promised land. What was his sin? He did not follow exactly the command of the Lord. In Exodus 17 Moses was commanded to strike the rock, but on the second occasion, he was to simply speak to the rock and tell it to yield its waster. Instead, Moses struck the rock. This violated God's holy representation of Christ's giving the Spirit. As Paul says in I Corinthians 10:4, the rock was Christ. But the rock was to be once stricken as Christ was once slain for sin. Once struck, the rock is said to follow them. It grants upon request a continuous abundant supply. So, our Savior once crucified, supplies rivers of living water--the Holy Spirit in abundance unto life everlasting. The supply is within us as Christ pours into our hearts His Spirit, His life. So our Savior, when we call on Him, is a constant source of refreshment and renewal. |
